The ban, which allows only essential water use, was lifted Sunday after the pump at the FM 2305 Booster Pump Station was repaired, according to Temple City Manager David Blackburn.
It was reinstated Tuesday, though, for residents west of Highway 317 when water use peaked and drained Temple’s Pepper Creek tank to less than 1 foot of water. The booster pump station pumps water to the tank, which holds about 24 feet of water.
“What occurred (Monday) night and through the day was that we had significantly high demands in the 835 zone once again,” Blackburn said. “The Pepper Creek tank got into dangerously low levels.”
Blackburn said residents should anticipate the new Stage 5 ban to last at least another day or two.
In a Stage 5 ban, watering the lawn is prohibited, as is washing a motor vehicle. Filling or refilling swimming pools or ponds, watering plants and washing down hard surfaces is also prohibited.
Temple is making arrangements to remedy the problem, partly caused by the population growth in the area. Blackburn said a new water line and pump project is scheduled to be completed in spring 2010.
“One of our options is purchasing a temporary mobile pump and attaching it to the Airport tank line that is not in function yet,” he said, adding one has been located.
Blackburn said the water line is completed, but it doesn’t have a pump.
Blackburn said the pump will cost the city, but that it’s a good asset to have on hand in case of another water emergency.
“The mobile pump is in the range of $30,000,” he said. “We’re looking at cost, but our priority is looking at getting water pumped to the area.”
Blackburn said the tank and pumps are able to produce enough water as long as there isn’t extraordinary demand on the system.
He said if the tanks run out of water there would first be a decrease in water pressure and possible boil water notices.
If residents continued to use water after the tank is empty, the pump would not be able to keep up with the demand and the pipes would run dry, he said. That would cause a fire hazard because there would be no water in the pipes to come out of a fire hydrant.
Blackburn said the city hopes to have the temporary pump working within 48 to 72 hours.
“When you go from one extreme to another it is confusing and people want to water their lawns as much as possible while they can,” he said. “We need to educate people better on water conservation.”
Blackburn said officials will move gradually down the water conservation scale to ensure that a spike in demand doesn’t occur in such extremes again.
